Seven Colonials win $53,000 in Swartz scholarships

Seven senior members of the New Oxford High School boys’ basketball team were recently awarded Gretchen Wolf Swartz Scholarships totaling $53,000.

The awards were presented during the team’s recent All-Sports Recognition Ceremony.

Gretchen Wolf Swartz Sportsmanship Awards are annually presented to York-Adams League boys’ and girls’ athletic programs in recognition of outstanding sportsmanship. Winning programs are determined by a vote of York-area basketball officials after observing the season-long conduct of players, fans, faculty, students, managers, coaches and cheerleaders from levels ranging from junior high through varsity.

Gretchen Wolf Swartz was a York County basketball official from 1981 to 1995. Following her death from leukemia in 1997, her fellow officials created the memorial team awards and a scholarship fund to honor her memory and sportsmanship. The first scholarships — both in the amount of $1,000 — were awarded in 2001. More than $200,000 in scholarship money has since been awarded.

Winning schools receive a traveling trophy as well. In order to win a scholarship, a student must be in his or her senior year. The winners are chosen by the scholarship fund’s board of directors after reviewing applications, transcripts and conducting candidate interviews.

For the Colonials, Zachary Rudisill received a $20,000 scholarship, Trevor Floyd was awarded a $15,000 scholarship, Israel Collazo was presented a $10,000 scholarship and Benjamin Lehman went home with a $5,000 scholarship. Jordin Brown, Tanner Myers and Brandon Pritchard each received a scholarship worth $1,000.

Rudisill plans to attend Lebanon Valley College, while Floyd will attend Wilson College. Collazo is headed to Susquehanna University and Lehman is going to York College. Brown has selected Penn State York, while Myers picked Coastal Carolina and Prichard chose Millersville University.

Biglerville High School was this year’s winner on the girls’ side. Biglerville's individual scholarship winners will be announced May 25 at the school’s senior awards banquet.

With their fourth program win, the Biglerville girls are second only to the Susquehannock girls in overall Swartz honors. The Susquehannock girls have won eight times in the award’s 17-year history.